A Weakness Of My Own
by Anna V
Summary: When Zack turned himself in, he never expected to be reunited with the woman he sacrificed everything for. Things begin to get out of hand when his baby sister becomes his new interrogator. Dark. MZ.
1. Bring In The Reinforcement

**Title:** A Weakness Of My Own  
**Author:** Anna V.  
**Rating:** R  
**Pairings:** Max/Zack  
**Spoilers:** Most of Season One and Two, but takes place around the Kids are Aiight.  
**Summery:** When Zack turned himself in, he never expected to be reunited with the woman he sacrificed everything for. Things get out of hand when his baby sister becomes his interrogator. Dark.  
**A/N:** This started as a vignette of what Zack must have gone through during his interrogation, then the ending sort of popped out. It went through many revisions before just being little stories. Usually I write much more than this, but I think it makes a point just as it is. It's going to continue to be in third person and alternate through different characters. No Logan or Alec, sorry. I alternate between pairings now and then depending on the plot. This wouldn't work well for either character. More will be revealed in later chapters. I really appreciate comments, they make my day, but if you don't want to, I won't cry about it. I write these stories because I love to and I love sharing them. But, for my own amusement, just press the button, please?

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**Chapter One**

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You never thought you would go back. You were prepared, of course. You lived everyday with the expectation of another war. The only war you would really face was with yourself. 

But did you think you would go back voluntarily? You never thought that.

You don't want to remember your brothers or sisters.

_They_ want to know.

They'll extract it from you in painful and persuasive ways. If you remember, you'll risk their location and safety. You'll recall when they put you under psychoactive drugs. No, you had to forget all of them.

Except one, you think.

You can remember her because you won't put her in harm. She was special, different, and the one person you risked everything for.

You think you would go crazy, but her angelic face keeps you sane.

Max…you think.

She had a life. She didn't want to give that up. She didn't want to sacrifice everything for you. You meant nothing but a past she was trying to forget.

You. Meant. Nothing.

You think about her when they wheel you into the conversation room. It's a fun room, as you remember it from your childhood. You recall all the sharp, glistening silver instruments that were your toys. Such a terrible childhood. A part of you secretly loved it. You wouldn't admit it, of course. It wasn't your fault. They trained you to love it.

You almost go under, but they bring you back. They want you to feel every needle sliding under your skin. So many veins had collapsed, it's getting harder and harder to find a good one now.

The drug slides through your body like a slimy leech.

It's not even a good high.

They might try to overpower you, but you have the upper hand. You won't say a word. Not one word. Not even their names.

After all, you forgot nearly everything so far. Just like the Colonel taught.

You can't even remember Jondy's vibrant red hair, and that was a sight hard to forget for any human.

"Where are they, Zack?" The Colonel used your name to trying to befriend you. They were all lies. You knew better than to listen to him. "Where's Jondy? Hmm? Where's Zane?"

You say nothing, because you know nothing. Not anymore.

But he'll make you remember. You'll see. He'll make you want to remember.

He turns, becoming frustrated. He has the answers right in his palm and you weren't giving in. But he knew you would never **_truly_** forget.

While he paces for patience, you think about your baby sister. You think about her smile. You can still see her eying your butter that morning at the mess hall. You can still remember sliding it over. You can still see her face, her eyes glittering with joy and small smile playing on her lips.

You think about that smile.

The Colonel looks over you and knows he hadn't made any progress. He turns from the doctor and leaves the room. If only you could go with him, to see where he was disappearing to.

When he returns with a visitor you're suspicious. You could feel another entity in the room but it was hard to place. She's like you, you assume. You had seen Brin when you was transported back to Wyoming, you could only assume it was another member of your family.

Another soldier for the Colonel to taunt you with like a mouse on a string.

You were done with games. But you didn't prepare yourself for this, because the Colonel knows you would want to play.

You don't hear the whispers. You ears are clogged as well as your brain. You can hardly function anymore, you know they are all laughing at you.

Weak.

Pathetic.

Slow.

They trained you better, you know.

"Do what ever you need to do, but make him remember." He whispers to her.

She nods, accepting his order like the good little soldier she was.

Her footsteps were light and graceful. She came around the chair like a mother to a sick child. She wants to nurture you, calm you, and whisper intimate memories in your ear. Her fingers were long and dainty, her skin so soft under your arm as she caresses it. The touch excites your nerves, it's been too long since a kind hand was laid on you.

When your eyes focus on her face, you weren't prepared to see her.

A woman.

A beautiful, lovely woman.

Her hair was long, pulled back loosely into a twist behind her neck. He can see small curly wisp around the nape of her neck where her black collar began. She dresses like a killer. A perfect assassin. In complete black. She is so much different from the baby sister you remembered.

But those eyes, those doting eyes that still has that spark after all those years. They are the same.

"Max?" Your throat hurts and the name comes up weak on your tongue. You lick you lips and swallow, attempting to ask her again as she caresses you arm. "Maxie?"

"Shh…" She purrs. "I'm here."

You can't believe it.

She got caught.

Your reckless sister. You told her! Now look at her, she was now the instrument of the devil himself!

A tear escapes from your eye. They broke you, you think. Baby sis, they broke you…

After seeing the only true love of your life, indoctrinated, you can't help but cry for her soul.

You blame yourself. Maybe you told? You hadn't yet forgotten about her.

"Tell me where they are, Zack. Tell me." She whispers heavenly.

Her brown eyes dig deep in yours. She leans in and began raking her fingers through your blonde hair. You remember when she hugged you. How you were surprised. How she embraced you like a lost lover and not like a brother. You could remember the night in the cabin, running your fingers on the side of her face.

God, you love her.

"You tell me and all of this will stop, I promise you."

If only you could see that she wasn't your baby sister anymore.

If only you could see that she only lying to you.

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TBC! 


	2. Commanding Officer

New chapter, thank me by hitting that button there, thanks!**  
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**BlueAngel137- **Thanks so much for the review. I'm so glad you like it and you think it's plausable, but believe me, I'm a huge sucker for AUs, but I'm quite good at it. I'm sorry I can't offer a little more in this chapter, it's a lead for the next few that will get better. I like writing darker fics in third person just because it brings the reader closer to the character. Sometimes I can hardly connect with fics anymore, I always try to do something fresh for a show on nearly five years ago. But thank you so MUCH for your review. Meant a lot. 

**angelofdarkness78 - **Thank you for your review! I'm glad it's been a while. It seems like the majority of fics now are M/A. It's been a very long time since I wrote DA, I use to a lot, but I'm taking a short break from the Alias fics I'm so well known for just because it's getting a little tiring with all the spying and angst. You might recongize a lot of Alias themes or situations, maybe even slight characterizations in my DA fics...it's hard to shake off when you wrote in that style for so long and you switch to something a little more edgier and science-fiction wise. I REALLY APPERCIATE your review. Made my day!

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**Chapter Two**

You woke up in a hospital bed. You felt better. Sober is the word your were trying to look for. You instantly thought that it was over. Maybe you talked. Either way, you hallucinated; you saw things—people who weren't real. You think they tricked you and you fell for it. But when you heard her footsteps you instantly know that the worst was true. That was your baby sister. She hovered over you, looking at you like the enemy. You thought she wouldn't have broken, but she had. The only question in your mind was: how? Did you talk? Did she come back for you, god forbid? Did she get caught?

"Max?" You asked from the bed. You might have not been drugged to a very high extent, but you were still weak. You still doubted it was really her. "They got to you, Maxie…they got you."

"Nothing that wasn't the inevitable." She answered in a flat tone. You grimace as you see that she's lost. You'll never get her back. Your family was falling apart piece by piece. Your soldiers, the pawns, falling down to the Colonel, the king. "It was for the best. I finally accepted my destiny."

She put a hand on yours and you still feel her warmth. A spark of hope inspired you to call out to her. You think about Jam Pony, her best friend Cindy, her motorcycle, and your even desperate enough to speak of Logan Cale.

"Maxie…that's not true. You didn't want this. That's why you gave me such a hard time." Her face denied it but you kept going trying to remind her of the life she once had, the life she loved too much to sacrifice for you. "You remember your motorcycle, you must have loved that thing more than me if that's possible? Cindy and Sketchy, everyone else in Seattle?"

"Shut up!" She ordered. You didn't even cause a nick in her glass wall Manticore built for her. You closed your mouth, unable to think that your baby sister gave you a deadening glare and harsh order. You wanted to cry.

You failed her.

You failed her.

You failed her.

She raised her eyebrow at you. "You seem to remember me fine. How about we work on the others, shall we?"

You bit you lip. She's not going to waste time on you. She's going to make you hurt and you won't tell her anything. You know Lydecker wanted you to break. Just looking at her, you almost did. But you won't let them win. You won't let them use Max.

"I won't tell you anything, Max! You go run back to your puppet master and tell him he can exploit you all he wants! I won't say a word!"

You see she's frustrated. She might get solitary for this. You figure she might even get worse. You don't want them to hurt her but maybe she'll rebel, maybe she'll see the light the more they beat her down. Like they did ten years ago. You see that she took a turn around the bed, turning her back to the window you knew Lydecker was standing behind. She swallowed and began to think about if she should come out of her forced façade.

"It isn't as bad as you think it is, Zack."

She looked down at you, used your name, and sympathized with you. Her face softened slightly as she smiled at you. She still loved you after all those months being indoctrinated. But they got to her, but her will was strong enough to still love you, not matter what you done against Manticore.

She still loved you.

"It's not like it was when we were kids. It's different."

You don't know what to say. You don't know if it's an act or she really has that soft side still. If it has, it's been tainted and disturbed. How can she tell him that? Does she remember Jack on the autopsy table? Does she remember Lydecker killing Eva, their sister? Obviously, it no longer matters, Manticore won and Max had no concern to fight back anymore.

"You don't know how happy I am that your back home." She smiled down at you when her hand brushed against your forearm. Electric currents began to tickle your skin when her fingers lovingly touched you. You eyed them for a moment before your blue, icy eyes shot up towards hers.

"I missed you, Zack."

Her hand withdrew quickly when the door opened wide. You saw her. Your sister, Brin. But, it wasn't your sister either anymore. She might even have a colder disposition than Max, if it was possible, but she doesn't even look at you. You're the enemy to her, but not to Max. You were still her brother. 'You just had issues to work out.' Brin, on the other hand, would kill you in an instant. Why? You asked, but you'll never get an answer. Instead, your eyes watch as Max's smile vanished and her face went cold. But she didn't turn, she kept looking straight at you.

"The Colonel would like to see you, 452. Now."

"You're not supposed to be here, 734!" You watched Max disapprove. It isn't such a harsh order, more like an exhausting one. You wonder why Brin isn't supposed to be there and you wonder why Max was.

"I understand. He said it was urgent." She told Max.

She blinked. She turned around and approached Brin with a deadly, purposeful glide. "Urgent—what, 734?"

You saw Brin's face turn defiant, but she resisted punching her in the face like she wanted to. You don't know what sort of look she exchanging with her but you're awfully curious, Max was never the one to get in another soldier's face. You just can't imagine her stepping out of her place even if she was never the obedient one.

"Urgent," Brin said before she continued. "Ma'am."

You nearly lost your breath as Bring stepped out of the way and saluted.

Max was her commanding officer.

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Review please??? 


	3. Regrets

**candyabble**** - **Thanks for your review. There are so many stories with her back at Manticore, post season one, but not a lot if she got caught in season one...which will be explained later. I'm so glad you like it.

**ramzgurl -** Thanks so much! I'm glad you'll be looking out for it. :D Makes my day.

**Zoey24** - A lot of people think it's 453, but I'm still denying season two ever happened. If '453' ever existed, Lydecker would know what she looked like and he would have discovered who she was during the conference. So in my world, 453 doesn't exist...lol. Thanks so much for the review!!!

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**Chapter Three**

He adored you. He adored everything about you. He wouldn't let the Madame touch you. Not you. Because you were special. Because you were his favorite. Maybe even before you were born. Your surrogate showed as much spirit (and trouble) as you did.

You were a loyal soldier again. You were the best again. And you were rewarded. You were named commanding officer of all the X5 you happened to be in the presence of. Only because they should have grovel on their knees when you walked in. You were perfect. You were a masterpiece of genetic research and military training.

He called you in and you went willingly. Two months ago you would have been kicking and screaming.

He acknowledged your presence when you enter. You saluted him before you stood at attention. You were always a good little soldier.

"You haven't been able to get any information from your brother, have you?" Lydecker asked you. You automatically feel disappointed when you have nothing to bring to your superior officer. You wanted to please him, you truly did.

"Sir, no, sir." You tell him, lacking any enthusiasm.

He nodded. "Good."

Your face automatically broke. Lydecker saw that and you automatically regain your composure. "It's alright for you to be surprised. I can't believe I'm saying so, either." There was silence and he turned his head to the side. "You would like to know why, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, sir." You replied.

"There's a new director to the base. Elizabeth Renfro. I don't know what she'll do if she gets her dirty little hands on you kids." You think about Brin. You know Lydecker had nothing to do with her transition back home. You know because you hadn't seen her when you were being re-educated. "Continue to question 599. I have the fullest confidence he won't give up their locations. But make sure Renfro goes nowhere near your brother. Understood, 452?"

"Sir, yes, sir."

A smile appeared on his face. "That's my girl." The smile quickly disappeared before he stood back. "Dismissed."

You salute him before you turn on your heel and leave. You don't know if you should go back to the barracks or back to your brother. Either way, Renfro found you. She would have. She was scraping around for pawns to play with. You being the Colonel's favorite, she was going to seek you out.

Being a good soldier, you salute, but you have no desire to obey her. You were loyal to one person, Colonel Donald Lydecker. Not Renfro, not your fellow X5s, and not even Manticore.

"State your designation." She ordered you. She wanted to know whom was this soldier Lydecker put so much confidence in.

"X5-452, Ma'am!" You told her firmly.

"Well, 452. I hear you have your fellow 09' escapee in your responsibility."

You stared at her. Her blonde short hair swept neatly to the side, her black suit was tailored neatly, her legs bear as she fashioned a deadly pair of heels, and a trench coat to hide the holster you knew she was packing.

"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am."

Her narrow eyes stared at you with need. You thought of her weak. You don't know why she rubbed you the wrong way, but usually most people higher than you did.

"I need to see him."

"599 is not allowed any visitors except the Colonel and myself during his interrogation, Ma'am." You told her. You wanted to laugh. Was she so desperate to come to you? She was obviously turned down by Lydecker and now relied on you to lead the way to his room.

"Do you understand that I am your superior officer?" She questioned you, stepping forward and violating your personal space. Even Lydecker was respectful not to get too close. He learned the hard way at first. After all, you spat at anyone who got too close during your time in solitary.

"Not even you." You smartly said as you kept your eyes ahead of you. "Ma'am."

"Tell me where 599 is, soldier!"

"I can't do that, Ma'am."

"Can't or won't?"

You answer truthfully. "Won't, Ma'am. Excuse me."

You left without being dismissed. You couldn't have done it if you weren't his favorite. You would have been put in the basement with the anomalies if she wanted to. Instead, you broke rules.

The other two X5s saluted you when you came back to your brother's room. You were uneasy. You never wanted to be the commanding officer. That was Zack's place. You could never fill his shoes and that's why you wanted him back.

You still loved him. You really did. You would do anything to protect him. But you also wanted him back.

You entered the room and he automatically saw the sister he lost to the enemy.

"Commanding role is not what you thought it would be?"

"Unfortunately." You dryly said as you took a look at his chart. You noticed he was on the same serotonin drip you were when you were transitioned. Oh fun, you sarcastically think. "Looks like they already go you on your drip, you'll slowly go through re-education before the week is up."

You watch Zack grimace. "I'll rather die than end up like you."

"That wouldn't be good. Lydecker wants you alive and I'll do anything to keep it that way." You told him, putting the chart back by his bedside.

You watched him as he closed his eyes in agony.

"I should have found a way to protect you. I should have paired you off with me. I should have…I failed you, Maxie…I'm so sorry."

You was tired of the 'should' and the 'would have been' in her life. Either way, what happened to you was the inevitable. What was going to happen to him was too.

You come around to the side of his bed and pressed you hand against his cheek. He stiffened before his eyes began to glass over with tears.

He hated seeing you like this.

"I know you're scared. I was too. But I'm going to be with you. I promise." You caress his cheek and promise him he wouldn't be alone. You wish you had him there when you went through the transition. "You'll be commanding officer again and I'll be your second, like it always should have been. Don't you see, Zack? This is how it was suppose to be. You and I, together?"

You took your thumb and wiped the tear away. He was surprised by your tenderness. For a killer, you showed emotion show so easily. However, you only showed it to him.

"I always loved you Zack. I still do."

When his blue eyes pierced into yours, you were uncertain if you meant as a brother, or as a lover.

You move in, about to bring your lips down to his. You don't know what really compelled you to do that. He had been your 'brother' for so long, why change it? Because you wanted to offer him something more, a special piece of you that only he could have if he had stayed. Anyway, the Colonel told you to do what was necessary, and you did have _very _persuasive lips.

You knew you were destined, though. Since the moment you were created. You were meant to be his.

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TBC 


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